Help! Moving to Southeast Houston....need your advice! (Pasadena, League City: rental, day care)

[DSL_PWR]

Look at La Porte as traffic is not bad and it is pretty easy to get to just about anything you need.

Clear Lake/Clear Creek is awesome if you have the cash to spend but traffic is horrid.

Deer Park sucks... don't ask, just don't live there.

[Poltracker]

Originally Posted by DSL_PWR

Look at La Porte as traffic is not bad and it is pretty easy to get to just about anything you need.

Clear Lake/Clear Creek is awesome if you have the cash to spend but traffic is horrid.

Deer Park sucks... don't ask, just don't live there.

What do you have against Deer Park?

Deer Park is a very nice neighborhood w/ awesome city services compared with Houston as well as programs for the kids/families.

See the City webpage here: City Homepage ~ Deer Park, Texas
and the messenger with all the summer family activities here: http://www.deerparktx.gov/egov/docs/1242404179_736968.pdf (broken link)

[lhafer]

I too was thinking about suggesting Deer Park. I have a few friends who live out there, and love it. They live in some very nice neighborhoods and their kids go to good schools.

[hannahcotrill]

I was surprised to read the slam against Deer Park as well. I'd heard good things about it. We'll have to look into it. It seems like the entire South Pasadena/Deer Park/Clear Lake/North League City sounds like a pretty good option. Not sure where...but sounds good so far. Thanks for your help!

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by HCottrill

Ok, so I'm gathering that you all think League City is a good option, though traffic on that main road is a bear.

As far as 'the south side of Pasadena' what exactly does that mean? Could you give me street boundaries or landmarks to know where to stay within?

What about clear creek as an option? Is it just too expensive?

There's no real boundary per se, just that it gets a little more blue collar the further north you go and you're closer to the refineries. When you come here at first and are renting, you can feel out where you're comfortable. No need to get committed to any place sight unseen.

Living along Clear Creek (this isn't a town name or anything, just a creek) flooding is more of an issue. I might ride out a category-1 hurricane there but anything else and I'd be seeking higher ground.

[Poltracker]

Originally Posted by hannahcotrill

I was surprised to read the slam against Deer Park as well. I'd heard good things about it. We'll have to look into it. It seems like the entire South Pasadena/Deer Park/Clear Lake/North League City sounds like a pretty good option. Not sure where...but sounds good so far. Thanks for your help!

If you look in Deer Park, there are some nice newer neighborhoods along East Blvd. If you like older homes that are very nice, look along Luella, Meadowlark, Norwood, and in Parkview North. Personally, I love living in Deer Park and I moved from downtown Houston (Montrose really) and was really afraid I would hate suburbia.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by davidt1

Stay far away from the coast and the surrounding areas like League City, Clear Lake, etc. if you plan to stay in Houston for 5 years or longer. The Gulf part of Houston is expected to be hit hard by future storms and hurricanes.

If you like that area - don't be affected by storm hysteria. League City and Clear Lake are lovely places to live with excellent schools. Yeah, you might not want a beachfront home - but I live on SE side and have friends on the far North side who fared far worse in the hurricane than many people on this side of town. Just check out your home and be sure to get one with no previous history of flooding (that doesn't mean it won't ever happen but it gives you a good indicator of the area). Check the flood plains - and even if you buy outside of a flood plain - it is a good investment to buy flood insurance anywhere you live in the greater Houston area.

Deer Park is nice with good schools too - now La Porte - I would avoid that area. Schools aren't that great either in La Porte.

[davidt1]

Apparently, folks here have no idea what I am talking about.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by davidt1

Apparently, folks here have no idea what I am talking about.

That's because the storm was such a unique experience to you that nobody else could relate to it, right?

You know how in California they just kind of deal with the fact that earthquakes can happen? We do the same here.

[tstone]

For hurricanes in the Clear Lake area, Ike proved you'll probably be ok if you live in the 77062 zip, in a house that is built well. Instead of stirring up the pot, look at things objectively and if you don't live here, don't believe all the hype that comes from outsiders.

There were some shingles blown off of some homes at worst, but most of the homes around us suffered no damage. The only real damage we all had was the fences came down. I fixed one myself and had someone come out to fix the other one. $900 out of pocket altogether, not enough to claim. If there were any tarps in our neighborhood they came down after a few weeks and now the homes have brand new roofs. We also lost power for only 1 day, while the old part of Clear Lake never lost power at all. The streets in the area are about 24-26' above sea level and the houses another 2-3' higher up. So for a storm surge to cause problems here, the hurricane would have to be one of Indian Super Typhoon proportions. If that happens, the surge will be a moot point, as half the metro and probably downtown will be blown down like sticks.

If you want to talk about unsustainable, look 100 miles east into Jefferson County and all the way to New Orleans. When California breaks off into the ocean, all of these marshes will have already been a permanent part of the Gulf.